Age is only a number to young-as-you-feel Jon Kitna

When 38-year-old Jon Kitna took over at quarterback after Tony Romo broke his collarbone Oct. 25, Phillips raved about Kitna’s athleticism.

Skeptical reporters, including me, rolled their eyes. But after watching Kitna run for a career-high 40 yards on four carries Sunday and match Roger Staubach’s club-record for longest TD run by a quarterback with a 29-yard win-sealing scamper late in the fourth quarter, it’s clear that Kitna can move.

“You’re as young as you feel,” Kitna said after the 35-19 win over the Lions. “Being around young guys keeps you young. It’s my 15th year in the league, but I haven’t played 15 years. It’s not like with Brett (Favre). He’s just taken massive amounts of hits. You never really realize what’s happening until you kind of get through it. It’s the hand of God to allow me, really the last two years, to let my body heal. It has been a huge blessing. And so I just keep on running.”

And leading. Kitna’s teammates are raving about his command of the huddle.

“The guys allowed me to lead before I started playing,” said Kitna, who didn’t take a snap in 2009. “I had a great relationship with guys last year. I had a great relationship with guys this offseason, in training camp and the beginning fo the season. When it’s your turn and your number gets called, I think the natural tendency is for guys to kind of worry about the guy back there. But I think the last two weeks they have kind of settled down and said, ‘You know what? He’s going to be find back there. Let’s just do our job.’ And they have done a great job of that in the last couple of weeks.”